Cowboy Beans

• servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients

1 pound dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed

1 small ham hock

1 bay leaf

Vegetable oil

3/4 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

1 large onion, choped

2 cups ketchup

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Place the beans in a large soup pot and fill with water to cover them by 2 inches. Let them soak overnight.

Drain the water from the beans and add 2 quarts of fresh water, the ham hock, and the bay leaf.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 hours.

Drain, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Discard the bay leaf. Return the beans to the pot.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 5-quart casserole dish with vegetable oil.

Remove the ham from the bone and chop it into 1/2-inch pieces.

Add the ham, beef, onion, ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire, molasses, mustard, and ginger to the beans in the pot and stir until incorporated.

Pour the bean mixture into the casserole. Add the reserved cooking liquid. Cover with foil or a lid and bake, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Serve hot.

Notes

Dolly says: "The ground beef makes this filling enough for dinner, and a real easy one, too. You don't have to add the beef, but it does make the whole thing seem more like hcili than anything else. This recipe makes a whole lot--I figure if I'm going to go to all that trouble of soaking beans, I'm going to make enough to last a few days."